Yahoo Makes Online Shopping More SocialYahoo Makes Online Shopping More Social

Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday tried to make the solo job of shopping online more of a community affair by letting bargain hunters share their own lists of product reviews.

With less than two weeks away from the start of the holiday shopping season, Yahoo sought attention with the beta launch of the "Pick Lists" feature that borrows from the blogging world.

Visitors to Yahoo Shopping can create their own list of products they love or hate and add their own reviews and pictures. Consumers can also comment on others' Pick Lists and even subscribe to them over a RSS feed.

Along with Pick Lists, the Sunnyvale, Calif., company also launched in beta the "Shoposphere," a feature that allows shoppers to search, view, read about and purchase products on lists.

"Our goal is to make online shopping better and easier by leveraging emerging technologies and the vibrant Yahoo community, allowing shoppers to create, build upon and share their areas of interest and expertise," Rob Solomon, vice president of Yahoo Shopping Group, said in a statement.

Also on Tuesday, Yahoo rolled out some improvements that it hopes will lead to more spending on its shopping site. Consumers can now create a wish list that can be shared with friends and family, and search Yahoo 360 for product reviews written by people within their own social network.

Consumers looking to compare products can access a product overview page that includes price comparisons, product specs, user ratings and reviews, editorial reviews, and current deals from merchants.

Online holiday sales are expected to reach $26 billion this year, an increase of 18 percent over last year, according to JupiterResearch.